When it comes to the white wines of summer, I like them fresh and crisp, unencumbered by much, if any, oak. I look for light wines filled with delicious ripe fruit and pointed acidity, wines that are at once easy to drink, but show enough complexity to make them interesting, even memorable.
I uncorked such a wine on a recent Saturday afternoon with a sandwich of goat cheese on a toasted baguette, adorned only with a little lettuce and some cracked pepper. Eaten on the fly, the meal was exquisitely simple and satisfying.
The wine was a hit as well — the 2005 Costières de Nîmes from Château Grande Cassagne in the village of St. Gilles. As with most French wines, the name refers to the place where the wine is made. Hence, this a white Costières de Nîmes made by Château Grande Cassagne. At about $10, it’s another one of those terrific, inexpensive wines that tend to lie beneath the radar in wine stores, which is to say usually well behind the California section that will greet you in most places.
Geographically, the Costières de Nîmes area is just southwest of the more famous appellations of the southern Rhône Valley. In “The World Atlas of Wine” (Fifth Edition), Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson place it in the eastern Languedoc. They note, however, that the boundary between that region and the southern Rhône is a disputed one, “with increasingly good reason” given that the quality of the wines “has improved so startlingly.”
The quality is obvious in Château Grande Cassagne’s white, which is a blend of marsanne and roussanne, two wonderfully aromatic varieties that achieve their greatest glory in Hermitage in the northern Rhône. The little secret, of course, is that you can often find very decent versions of famous and pricy French wines by looking to the region next door, where the wines can be had for a fraction of the cost.
Typically, marsanne shows melon and mineral flavors, while roussanne provides acidity, honey and floral notes. The Grande Cassagne rendition is refreshing in its youthfulness and delicious in its many components. I found distinctive apple notes, both tart and slightly sweet, a lemony richness, plenty of minerals, and a touch of herbs on the finish. “Great aperitif and summer quaffer,” I wrote in my notes.
It will match well with lots of lighter foods, especially simple fish and chicken dishes with herb seasonings. I enjoyed sipping it through lunch and then later, on the patio, with guests before dinner. This lovely wine reminded me that summer, indeed, was at hand.
Edward Deitch's wine column appears Wednesdays. He welcomes comments from readers. Write to him at EdwardDeitch